In U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,020 of Taylor, a fishing lure has a fixed outer body 14, with a flexible color changing sock body 24 in the non-expandable outer body 14, to effect a changing coloration effect, when the sock body expands or collapses in length within the transparent fixed lure body 14. The purpose of the collapsing and lengthening is not for aerodynamic casting, nor for extension of length in the water. Instead, the purpose is to change colors of the expandable sock body 24, to attract fish to the color changing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,822 of Bryant discloses an expandable length element not related to the segmented lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,875 of Righetti describes a fishing lure which has multiple segments which are pivotably connected to permit the lure 100 to simulate a wiggling bait fish, as in FIG. 9 therein. There is a centrally located linear membrane 900 connecting the segments, which then will pivot and articulate while wiggling, but there does not appear to be a large gap to cause significant collapsing and expansion of the lure body 100 of Righetti '875.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,286 B1 of Wilson generally discloses a lure with segmented body. Wilson's patent discloses the segments being connected by mechanical hinges 58 that pivot inside cavities of the segments. However, Wilson states in claim 2, paragraph “c” at column 7, lines 20-24 that the snap fit of the hinges operates in “constraining said fishing lure to lateral articulation,”
(i.e. sideways movements).
US Patent Application Publication 2008/00678114 A1 of Pack and U.S. Pat. No. 8,181,382 B2, also of Pack, describe a segmented fishing lure connected by flexible strips 315 in FIGS. 1-38 and 5A-9C, or by swivel joints 401, but mainly for rotating back and forth motion in sideways lateral articulation.
A significant distinction, however, between the fishing lures disclosed in Pack, Wilson and Righetti is that gaps between segments are provided, it does not appear that there is longitudinal movements of the segments, as opposed to pivotal articulating sideways movements, to simulate wiggling of the bait fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,995 of Rapelje and U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,394 of Winterberger also disclose laterally pivotable lures. Huang (of which I was the patent attorney) discloses a unitary, non-segmented single piece lure with a forward pivotable lip that aligns with the lure in the air, but pivots down in the water to create resistance to simulate wiggling of a bait fish.
US Design Patent no. D683,420 S of Rago discloses fishing lure with reverse forward facing open segment surfaces, but it appears to be pivotable to simulated wiggling, not for collapsing and expansion of the length of the fishing lure.